Introduction Patients with knee osteoarthritis are commonly seen in orthopedic clinics.
Patients with knee osteoarthritis are commonly seen in orthopedic clinics. The role of the sports medicine physician is to improve their pain and prolong their knee function to avoid a total knee arthroplasty. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is naturally found in synovial fluid and acts as a shock absorber, aids in joint lubrication, and decreases energy forces transmitted to the knee.
When analyzing the synovial fluid in patients who have osteoarthritis their fluid is found to have depolymerized HA, decreased molecular weight HA, increased joint clearing of hyaluronic acid, and overall decreased viscosity of synovial fluid. The changes seen in HA led to the field of viscosupplementation to help supplement the naturally occurring HA. HA injections can improve the knee’s ability to absorb shock and aids in lubricating the knee.
Recent studies have also found evidence of chondroprotection with HA.HA injections can be a single injection or as part of a series of 2-5 injections. The average amount paid per series of injections was found to range from $180 to $350. Currently, there are avian derived and bacterial derived HA injections available.
The purpose of our review here today is to look at multiple reviews on viscosupplementation to see if there is general agreement. Reviews There have been multiple different reviews published on the role of viscosupplementation for knee osteoarthritis. They have been published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the Journal of American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery, the British Journal of Sports Medicine, and countless more.
Despite most of these reviews analyzing the same papers, they all look at different outcome measures. This has led to confusion over the role of viscosupplementation, since the reviews offer differing conclusions. What we hoped to do in this article was to review the outcomes in some of these major reviews to see where the differences exist.
If you are experiencing symptoms that may be related to evidence for viscosupplementation for knee osteoarthritis, it is important to see a sports medicine physician. Early evaluation and treatment typically lead to better outcomes. Do not ignore pain or symptoms that are limiting your activity.
*This article is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider.*
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